God's Trumpet
by Deus X Machina
Summary: The tale of four young mutants, Crescendo, Raptor, Midas, and Swarm who are torn between the Xmen and the Brotherhood. OCs.
1. On the Hudson River

**Deadly Song**

**Chapter 1: On the Hudson River**

"Have you considered my offer?"

Three people sat together at a table on a nighttime dinner cruise down the beautiful Hudson River. On one side of the table was an elderly couple. On the other side was a teenage boy. To all observers, they seemed like an ordinary boy out with his parents. Or perhaps his grandparents.

"Yes, we have," the boy answered in a hushed voice, "but one of us is reluctant. If it were up to me, we'd all be behind you, one-hundred percent. I, for one, don't want to spend any more time rotting in that little hellhole, waiting for the cops to find me."

The man smiled. "My Brotherhood would welcome you wholeheartedly. Lady Deathstrike gave you a fine recommendation." he said.

"Yuriko? She's okay?" asked the boy, sitting up straight.

"She is recovering," said Magneto. "But back to the matter at hand. We'd be pleased to have someone so enthusiastic fighting for our cause, Crescendo."

The boy called Crescendo did not answer immediately. He stuck a piece of steak into his mouth and chewed slowly, watching the shoreline float by. He was thinking back, remembering the last time he had heard the beautiful song of cracking bones and tearing flesh. He remembered the last time he had felt the sweet bliss of revenge.

On the outside, Crescendo had been and still was the epitome of average. His clothes, green eyes, and blond hair were simple and unostentatious. He'd had a 3.5 GPA, playing second seat clarinet in the school band. He wasn't out of shape, but he wasn't well suited for athletics, either. He'd had a few dates, but no steady girlfriend. His family life was normal. Two married parents, a thirteen year old sister, and a baby brother. The only thing distinctive about him had been his complete lack of distinction.

But he had been unusual, even before he had become Crescendo. Unlike many people his age, Crescendo had always wanted to become a mutant. He had craved the power they wielded and, more importantly, the fear that mutants inspired. His daydreams had always involved someone confident and smug reduced to a quivering lump, begging for his life, when he revealed his godlike powers. The day his mutation appeared was the third happiest day in his life. The second happiest was when he first made his daydream come true. And the events of the happiest day of his life were what had led to his "discovery" by Magneto and the Brotherhood.

Crescendo was snapped out of his thoughts when the yacht was passed by an unmarked cutter with a machine gun mounted on the stern. Looking past the boat, he could see the Statue of Liberty, its golden torch blazing. "Tight security," he said. "Because of that incident a few years ago."

"Mutant terrorists with a bomb, according to the media," said Magneto.

"Your doing?" asked Crescendo. Magneto gave a knowing smile, which faded as he glanced at the window out of the corner of his eye. The cutter had dropped back and was shadowing the yacht. They heard someone asking, "Hey, why are we stopping?" Another person asked, "Is this some kind of security thing?"

Crescendo jumped as he heard the window crack. He saw a bullet stuck into the glass. A man onboard the cutter worked the bolt of a high-powered rifle and took aim at them again. Magneto, with a lazy gesture, stopped the bullet, tossing it harmlessly into the water. "It's time for us to go," he whispered. The three mutants went out onto the ship's deck. The old woman pulled a small communicator from her pocket, whispering some command into it.

"Erik Lehnsherr, stop where you are and surrender." Boarding the yacht were three men swathed in black Kevlar armor, their faces hidden by dark plastic shields. They brought plastic flechette guns to bear. Three deadly, ceramic-tipped darts shot towards the mutants. Magneto ripped away a section of the metal wall, blocking the darts. He then slammed the wall into the men, mowing them down.

The cutter had attached three rope ladders, made of some strong plastic material, to the handrail of the yacht. Two more of these unidentified gunmen were climbing on board. The old woman who had posed as Magneto's wife began to change. Her flesh shifted, giving her the form of a woman with scaly blue skin. The lead gunman raised his flechette gun but before he could get a shot off, Mystique did a graceful back flip, her legs wrapped around his neck. With a slight twitch, she snapped his spine. Snatching up his weapon, she skillfully put a flechette through the weak points in the other man's armor.

Meanwhile, Magneto was taking care of the cutter. The metal hull off the cutter began to shudder and crack as Magneto began to tear it apart. A sailor manned the machine gun and, unconcerned about the ship's passengers, fired a barrage at Magneto, trying to distract him. He froze the bullets in midair, putting Neo to shame.

"Crescendo!" he called. "Can you take down the boat?"

Crescendo nodded. He eyed the metal in the boat's hull. He could see the almost imperceptible vibrations within it, its natural frequency. Raising his hands, Crescendo concentrated his power into in air surrounding the cutter. He saw distortions forming in the air, like heat waves, vibrating at the same frequency as the metal. Soon a large crack shot down the side of the hull and water began flooding in. The man at the machine gun, in his surprise, made the fatal mistake of releasing his weapon's trigger. At that moment, Magneto reversed the bullets he had collected and sent them flying through the poor man's body. Meanwhile, more cracks appeared in the hull until the metal simply fell apart.

The three mutants heard the roar of an approaching motorboat, a young man with greased-up hair at the wheel. The surviving gunmen, treading water, clung to the wreckage of the boat, trying to bring their weapons to bear. The man extended his hand, launching a stream of fire that washed over the boat's wreckage. The humans, with their soaked weapons, never stood a chance.

Magneto, Mystique, and Crescendo all boarded the motorboat. "Good to see you again, Pyro," Crescendo greeted the driver. Pyro nodded back.

"How did they know about our meeting?" asked Crescendo.

"I don't know," Magneto admitted. He folded his arms and frowned, thinking. After a while, he said, "We'll drop you off somewhere safe and contact you later."

"What happened to that boat back there?" asked Pyro.

Magneto grinned. "It was all Crescendo's doing."

"What? How do you do something like that?"

"Sound waves," answered Crescendo. "I can control sound waves."

"Well, I've never seen any radio that can do that! How does it work?"

"It involves a lot of physics," said Crescendo. Pyro decided that his curiosity wasn't worth a scientific lecture. They continued the rest of their ride in silence, dropping Crescendo off at a deserted dock.

**XXXXX**

_Home, sweet, home, _thought Crescendo as he wearily climbed the steps to the abandoned building where he was staying. The place was three stories tall but very thin. He had no clue what it had once been.

"I'm home," he called into the darkness.

"Hey," called the voice of another young mutant from another room. "We're in here."

Crescendo pulled open the door and gasped at what he saw. His friend Swarm was lying unconscious on a thin blanket beside a flickering lantern. Deep cuts and purple bruises covered her face and body. Kneeling beside her was a boy slightly younger than Crescendo, doing his best to ease her pain with the rudimentary skill and limited resources at his disposal.

"Midas, what happened to her?" Crescendo asked urgently. "Why is she like this?"

"She went outside," was all Midas said.

"Oh," said Crescendo. "Did she use her powers?"

"No, but she was seen."

Crescendo understood perfectly. Swarm was a person who had embraced her mutation wholeheartedly and wanted to express it externally. She dressed only in yellows and blacks, going so far as to dye her naturally blond hair with stripes of black, like the bees and hornets she controlled. But the public's fear of mutants had spilled over towards anyone who looked different. Dyed hair, colored contacts, and tattoos were rapidly disappearing. People with physical deformities were afraid to leave their homes. They were afraid to be mistaken for mutants.

Crescendo closed his eyes and made a quick mental prayer, thanking God for Magneto. When he'd first met Magneto, he had learned of a fool named Charles Xavier, who wanted to unify humans and mutants, bringing them together as friends or something like that. But the way things were going, humans were becoming more, not less, intolerant. It was a time when dyed hair was enough of a reason to label someone as a demon. Xavier's dream was just that. A dream, and nothing more.

"It's too bad the clinic's gone," said Crescendo. "They'd fix her up well enough."

"Yeah," said Midas. "Do you know what's going to happen to the people in that mob?"

"Absolutely nothing," said Crescendo. "The mob was made of humans, remember? The cops are after me. And any mutant who so much as looks in my direction will be considered my accomplice."

"We're running out of supplies," said Midas, holding up yet another empty jar of food. "We can't keep living like this."

"Don't worry," said Crescendo. "We'll be with the Brotherhood soon. We'll be with others like us."

"You should get some sleep," said Midas. "You've had a tough night."

After saying goodnight, Crescendo made his way to the upper floor and headed for his bedroom. He stretched and yawned. He glanced into another room, wanting to check on another member of his group.

"How did the meeting go?" asked the voice. In the tone of the voice, there was an accusation, a charge of some transgression.

"It ended badly," Crescendo said evenly, his own voice carefully neutral. "Magneto was ambushed. I don't think they knew who I was."

Crescendo entered the room and leaned against the wall. Sitting on the only chair in the building was the mutant who called himself Raptor. Like his namesake animal, Raptor's body was covered with dark green scales. His long hands and bare feet were tipped with deadly black claws while serrated fangs filled his wide mouth. His eyes were a dark, murky amber, stuck in an eternal glare. He was the nicest person anyone could meet.

"Police?" asked Raptor. "Or government?"

"I don't know. I didn't see any markings."

"So," Raptor said softly, "what are you going to do? Will you join the Brotherhood?"

"I will. But what about you?" Crescendo asked, already knowing the answer.

Raptor's reptilian eyes dropped to the floor, avoiding Crescendo's gaze. "If you join the Brotherhood, then I won't be with you," he practically whispered.

Crescendo lost his patience. "Don't you understand?" Raptor snapped his eyes up to meet his friend's gaze. "You know better than any of us what humans are willing to do to us! Are you willing to go and face those people alone?"

"I won't be alone," said Raptor, his voice gaining strength. His hand rubbed against his right arm, feeling the pain of an old injury. "I'll…I'll join with Charles Xavier."

Crescendo put a hand to his face and shook his head in amazement. Because of his fearsome appearance, Raptor had suffered far more than the other three mutants hiding out in that old, empty building. Telling the story of Raptor's past would be enough to recruit any mutant to the Brotherhood. Yet he was still ready to believe in Xavier's utopian fantasies. But still, there was a tiny, smoldering spark of hope in Crescendo that forced a sort of respect for Raptor's idealism.

Frustrated, Crescendo sighed. "I'm going to sleep."

"Good night," Raptor said in a peacemaking tone.

"Good night," Crescendo answered, in the same tone.

**XXXXX**

Well, that's the first chapter of Deadly Song. I hope you enjoyed it. Chapter 2 will be a flashback, explaining how Crescendo and the others first met the Brotherhood.


	2. The Clinic

**Deadly Song**

**Chapter 2: The Clinic**

Author's Notes: This chapter is more like a bunch of little mini-chapters about my characters' experiences at the clinic. It takes place over a few years. Oh, and I don't own the X-Men.

**XXXXX**

Raptor slumped against the alley wall, hiding himself behind a crate of rotting wood. The high overhanging roof of the building would gave him some meager protection from the rain. He looked carefully around and saw nothing. He had lost the mob.

As his adrenaline rush faded, a fresh burst of pain shot through his right arm. He grabbed the spot below his shoulder where a "peaceful protestor," as the news would no doubt call him, had shot him in "self defense." A dark pool of blood was spreading out from the wound, soaking his sleeve. He put a hand over it to keep the rain off. Raptor tore a strip of cloth from his shirt and inexpertly bandaged the wound. But the bullet was still inside and he knew he had to get help fast. But where could a half-man, half-reptile mutant go for help?

Raptor cringed as he heard footsteps splashing in the shallow puddles of the sidewalk. He crunched up, trying to conceal as much of himself as he could behind the crate. The footsteps turned into the alley and splashed lightly towards him.

Raptor's mind was racing. Even with his injury, his claws and fangs were enough to tear any human to pieces. And if this guy tried to run, then a hot spray of acid would melt the skin right off his back. But Raptor was afraid of killing. What if this man was harmless? What if he was just trying to toss a trash bag into a dumpster? What if he was innocent?

But another, even stronger thought kept the acid in Raptor's belly. Mutant haters, including the one who'd shot him, expected him to be a killer. They were just waiting for him to cut someone up so they could point and say how mutants were dangerous, unnatural, evil, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Typical right-wing stuff. At that moment Raptor vowed to never use his abilities to kill, even in self defense. He would do what so many humans could not.

"I know you're here," the man called out. Judging from his voice, he was in his mid teens, around Raptor's age.

Raptor tensed, ready to run for it.

"Come out," he said. "I won't hurt you."

Raptor summoned the courage to speak. "Bullshit!"

"If it helps, I'm a mutant. Just like you," he said without lowering his voice.

Raptor cautiously peeked around the corner of his crate. He saw a teenage boy with short blond hair standing underneath an umbrella.

"Not so loudly!" Raptor whispered.

"What?"

"Don't say you're a mutant so loudly."

The boy smiled. "Don't worry. Nobody will hear us unless I want them to."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm audiokinetic. I can control sound waves. But we have more important things to talk about. You've been shot."

Raptor struggled to his feet. "How do you know that?"

"I've been tailing anti-mutant mobs like those. They tend to get violent. It's not hard when they think their enemies are demons instead of human beings. Come on," he said. He put Raptor's left arm over his neck and helped him up. "I know a place where you can go to get that patched up. By the way, what's your name?"

"Max," said Raptor. "Max Elliot."

"You should get yourself a mutant name," said the boy as they trudged down the alley.

"A what?"

"A nickname based on your mutation. It's practically a tradition with all mutants."

"Then I already have one. It's Raptor."

"Raptor. Now that's a cool name."

"What's yours?"

"Crescendo."

**XXXXX**

It had been two days since Crescendo brought Raptor to the clinic. The building was nondescript, without any signs on the outside indicating its true nature. It was in a poor, out-of-the-way part of the city, where few people ever came.

Crescendo had told Raptor about this place. It was a clinic meant specifically for mutants who could not get help at a regular hospital. The doctors there regularly worked at other practices and hospitals. They worked at the clinic during their off hours, adding severely to their workload, being paid only by what their anonymous donors could pay them, which wasn't much, as most of the money had to go towards equipment.

Crescendo had first found this place one year ago, when a broken arm forced him to go to the hospital. But he had been young and could not fully control his powers. When the doctors realized he was a mutant, Hippocrates was pushed out of their minds and they kicked him out, saying he was too dangerous. However, one of the doctors also worked at the mutant clinic and guided him there. Ever since then, Crescendo had helped them by following anti-mutant mobs, guiding injured mutants to the clinic.

Raptor sat in a chair with his arm in a sling. Despite the clinic's inadequate equipment, his arm was healing nicely. Raptor stood up suddenly and began pacing around the room restlessly. In the time he had been at the clinic, he had not left his room.

There was a knock on the door. Crescendo entered the door, holding a pizza box in one hand. "You should be in bed," he said.

"Why? I'm bored out of my mind," Raptor said, taking a slice of pizza. It disappeared into his giant mouth. "I wanna walk around this place, take a look around."

"You shouldn't."

"Why the hell not? It's my arm that's injured, not my legs." Without waiting for Crescendo's approval, Raptor stepped out the door.

**XXXXX**

It was a scene that had become too familiar to Crescendo, having worked at the clinic for about two years now. One of the doctors carried the poor blonde girl into the clinic. Someone had beat her with a heavy stick.

As the girl who would someday be known as Swarm was carted away for treatment, Crescendo watched with a feeling of hopelessness. The outlook for mutants was becoming more and more bleak. It seemed that the only good humans were here in this clinic. He sighed and went back to his filing.

"Crescendo!" Dr. Marlow, a portly man with gray hair and mustache, hurried over to him. "Crescendo, one of the patients is out of control! We need your help!"

"What's going on?"

"It's the one who calls himself Nightmare," said Marlow. "No time to explain. Just come on!"

Nightmare? Crescendo had seen that mutant. He had come in for some medicine. He was perhaps in his twenties, apparently of Indian descent, but Crescendo had not had the chance to speak with him, nor did he know what powers Nightmare possessed.

Several doctors were already gathered outside Nightmare's room, though they looked less like doctors and more like policemen surrounding a building. "Let us through, let us through," Dr. Marlow said. The small crowd parted to allow Crescendo into the room.

Nightmare was sitting on his bed, one hand propping him up and another holding a book open. Standing beside him was one of the nurses, Anne, carrying a small bowl of soup. Her back was straight and stiff and her hands grasped the bowl as if her life depended on it. Her eyes were wide, staring blankly ahead. Her lips were parted and her breath was coming in short, frightened gasps. She looked as if she were standing on a ledge over a ten story drop.

Nightmare looked at Crescendo through the corner of his eye and nodded in greeting. "These humans," he said with a smug chuckle. "I guess you're wondering why you're here. I couldn't deal with these humans any more so I specifically asked for one of my own kind. You are a mutant, aren't you?" Nightmare squinted at Crescendo and, seeing something invisible, nodded his approval.

"What did you do to her?" Crescendo asked.

"Huh? Oh, the nurse. Well, first I'd have to explain how my power works. I manipulate a person's sense of fear. I can make them afraid of anything I choose, no matter how ridiculous. For this lovely lady, I made dropping that bowl into her greatest fear. That fear outweighs even her fear of death!" He placed his hand on the bowl. Anne's grip tightened and frightened tears came to her eyes. "I'm sure that if I knocked this bowl out of her hands, she would go insane." As he said this, Anne let out a sob.

"Why are you doing this? These people are trying to help you!"

"Because I can!" Nightmare said, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Let me share an…understanding I've had ever since my power appeared. I've found that the ability to control fear is the ultimate power. It's given me power over all other people. Fear is the great motivator. With fear you can make a person do anything you want. Think! Almost every bad thing a person has ever done has its origin in fear. A few years from now I'll be the most powerful mutant in the world!"

Nurse Anne's posture suddenly relaxed as Nightmare released her from his spell. She looked around the room blankly before she remembered exactly what had happened. She threw the bowl of soup onto the floor and ran blindly out of the room. Crescendo knew that she would never work there again. He glared at Nightmare. "What right did you have to do that, you psychopath?" he yelled at him.

"Don't talk to me like that, pal," said Nightmare. "You're no better than me. You see, I have another power. I can see any memories that involve fear, whether they're yours or someone else's. And I know what you've done. You love causing fear as much as I do!"

"You're right!" Crescendo raised his hand and fired a burst of loud, high-pitched sound towards Nightmare so intense that he grabbed the sides of his head. Crescendo directed the sound waves straight into Nightmare's ears, so that the onlooking doctors couldn't hear a thing.

"_GET OUT!"_ Crescendo commanded. _"OUT!"_ Crescendo did not actually speak. He directed the sounds of the words into the sound waves he was firing at Nightmare, making the command boom like the Voice of God. Covering his ears and screaming in pain, Nightmare pushed through the crowd of doctors and, following Anne's path, ran out the clinic.

**XXXXX**

Midas slumped in his chair in the clinic lounge with a cold bottle of water after several long hours of work. It had been perhaps three months since he had taken refuge in the clinic after escaping years of forced servitude to his family.

If anyone ever learned about Midas, they would fight viciously to take control of him. Midas had the ability to transmute any metal into any other form of metal. His family had gotten rich at his expense, forcing him to turn base metals into gold, silver, and platinum. When he had first come to the clinic, he had not had any medical problems. Nothing that a little food and water couldn't fix. What he had needed was a place of refuge, where he could feel like a human being instead of a commodity.

Right now, Midas didn't just feel loved. He felt _needed. _He felt _important. _His powers had been instrumental in healing the clinic's latest patient, a most unusual case. A few hours ago, while he had been at the front desk, a black sedan had pulled up in front of a clinic. Its passengers were an older gentleman and a comatose Japanese woman. She was not carried by the man. Rather, she floated in the air beside him, as if by some kind of telekinesis. The man was dressed in a black cloak and wore a thick metal helmet.

When the man first saw Midas, he said, "I was hoping I would find you here, Mr. Carew."

"Who are you? How do you know who I am?" Midas could not quite hide his fear. Had his parents sent this man to find him? Midas wondered how he could fight this man when his only ability was nearly useless as a weapon.

"Settle down, Daniel. I've come here seeking your services. My name is Erik Lehnsherr, though in mutant circles I'm known as Magneto."

Midas felt as if something very cold and heavy had dropped into the pit of his stomach. Magneto, the mutant terrorist from Liberty Island, who had tried to massacre the world's most important leaders, was standing right in front of him. "What do you want?" he managed to squeak out.

"To do what this facility was always meant to do. Heal mutants. This young woman, Lady Deathstrike according to her dog tags, has had a high volume of molten adamantium injected into her body. She is alive only because of her high regenerative capabilities. If it had been any other type of metal, I could remove it myself. But in its solidified form, adamantium is indestructible. I need you to transmute the adamantium into something I can work with."

"I should tell Dr. Marlow."

"Do what you want, but it won't do any good. The only ones needed for this operation are you and me."

"Dr. Marlow is our head surgeon…"

"And what good will ordinary surgery do if every incision closes up a moment after it is made? We are the only ones who can help her."

Midas looked down at the pale, drenched body of Lady Deathstrike. "You say she's still alive?"

"Perhaps 'alive' is not the best way to put it. She has the potential to return to a living state due to her healing factor."

"All right, let's get to work."

"Good," said Magneto as Midas led him to the operating room. "Here is what we will do." He took out a glass vial filled with a thick silver liquid. "This is mercury. It is one of the few metals that is liquid at room temperature. You must turn the excess adamantium into mercury so that I can remove it. We must work quickly, because the incisions will close up quickly. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Good, then," Magneto said in a strangely friendly tone. "Let's get to work, Daniel."

"Everyone calls me Midas."

Magneto gave the young mutant an approving smile. "Midas it is, then."

After hours of frustrating labor, Magneto and Midas removed the excess metal from Lady Deathstrike's system. It had been bloody work because Midas had to touch the metal with his bare skin to transmute it.

Midas chugged the ice-cold water gratefully, knowing that he had earned his keep. Lady Deathstrike was resting in one of the clinic's rooms. Magneto had left, saying that he would return to check on her in a few days. Hours of tension flowed away as he reclined on his chair, falling into a comfortable stupor. He barely heard when the door opened.

Crescendo walked into the room and greeted the younger mutant. Midas raised his water bottle in greeting. He had first seen Crescendo on the first day he had come to the clinic. He had seen Crescendo fight and expel a mutant patient called Nightmare, who had been tormenting the staff.

Midas couldn't help but be in awe of Crescendo. He had seen a sort of nobility in him, the potential for heroism. But Midas was good at judging the feelings of others and he could tell that there was a growing darkness in Crescendo, corrupting that heroism. Crescendo could do great things someday, but he would do them in the name of anger. Midas had sensed the same thing in Magneto.

"Midas, I just wanted to tell you that Lady Deathstrike's recovering. The doctors say that her speed of recovery is amazing. That healing factor does some pretty impressive stuff."

"You've seen her?"

"Yeah. She's already strong enough to get up and walk around. I've spoken to her. She's very interesting. Her real name is Yuriko."

"What did she talk about? How did all that metal get into her body?"

Crescendo told Midas all he had heard from Yuriko. About her years under the chemically-induced control of a Nazi-esque government scientist. She had still been aware of her surroundings. She had been capable of thought. She had been perfectly conscious yet unable to do anything under her own power. She had lost her free will. Her last memory was in a section of a military base, battling a mutant with healing abilities similar to her own. He could not kill her, so he injected her with the molten adamantium that had originally given her strength.

"Isn't that a scary thought?" Crescendo finished.

Midas lazily flipped open the switchblade he always carried with him. He pressed a finger against the steel blade. He turned the blade into adamantium and then, unconsciously, to gold. As he did so, he thought back to his time of servitude. He empathized with Yuriko. He knew what it was like to be a tool, a thing exploited for the profit of others. Would that be the fate of all mutants if humanity had its way? He turned the blade back into adamantium and closed the knife.

**XXXXX**

"Welcome back, sir," said Crescendo as Magneto, this time dressed more inconspicuously, returned to the clinic to see Lady Deathstrike.

"Hello, Crescendo. How is the Lady doing?"

"Miss Oyama recovered quickly. She'll be glad to finally meet you." He gave Magneto directions to Deathstrike's room.

Crescendo was fascinated by Magneto. Dr. Marlow hated him. "The only reason I haven't turned him in," Marlow had said, "is because it would mean exposing this clinic."

"He's fighting for mutant prosperity," said Crescendo. "He's not all that bad."

"Well, he's doing it the wrong way," said Marlow. "Trying to blow up the Statue of Liberty doesn't help humans or mutants. It just turns everyone against each other." Crescendo could see the truth in that. Realistically, the only way for peace was for human-mutant cooperation. But still, there was something in Magneto's philosophy that appealed to him. He wasn't sure what it exactly was but somehow, it seemed to fit him.

Crescendo was startled when he heard something in the hallway shatter. Perhaps someone had dropped a plate.

"Oh damn," he said as he saw a heavy brick lying amongst the shards of a broken window. He looked outside and saw that a mob of angry humans had formed outside the clinic. Among the crowd he saw glass bottles with flaming rags tied around the necks. Molotov cocktails. Thinking fast, Crescendo pulled the nearest fire alarm.

Patients and doctors flooded into the hallways, wondering what was going on. The situation worsened as more bricks flew through the window, injuring patients and doctors. They tried to get the patients back into their rooms, but then the first Molotov cocktails were thrown through the broken windows, spilling fiery gasoline over innocent people.

Everyone panicked. They ran, trying to find some way out of the clinic. Doctors tried in vain to evacuate their patients as more fire rained upon them. As Crescendo tried to weave his way through the chaos, he ran into Midas and Raptor, who seemed on the border of tears. A Molotov cocktail exploded on either side of them, surrounding them and several others in fire. Crescendo realized that they were right next to a broken window. One more ill-placed Molotov cocktail would certainly kill them. And if that didn't, then the spreading fire certainly would.

Then, miraculously, the flames began to shrink. They saw a young man in black clothes with his hand raised in the air, parting the flames like the Red Sea. "Follow me!" he shouted. "Up the fire escape to the roof!" As the fire-wielding mutant led the small group of survivors through the hall, someone in the mob fired a sub-machine gun into one of the broken windows. The bullets cut the group's number in half. By now, only Midas, Raptor, Crescendo, and the fire-wielder were left.

A look of rage on his face, the fire-wielder boldly approached the window. "Give 'em a taste of their own medicine," he murmured. A great stream of fire shot out from his hand, flowing over the mob, incinerating several of them.

"Don't just stand there!" he shouted at the others. "Can't you help?"

Crescendo stepped up to the window and extended his hands. He heard them, cheering at the suffering of these innocent people, laughing at their helplessness and their futile attempts to escape. Nothing would please him more than to turn the tables, to smile at their suffering. Once again, he saw the subtle vibrations in the bones of his enemies. He fired a burst of sound at that frequency. Several of the humans felt their bones beginning to vibrate. They shook and collapsed before the sound waves caused their skeletons to shatter. Shards of bone tore through their skin and into their internal organs. Gallons of blood flowed. Crescendo couldn't help but smile.

The humans were panicking now. The mob fell into chaos as the remaining humans tried to run, falling over each other in their desire to escape. Crescendo watched as many were trampled by their friends. Good.

Several cars floated into the air and were dropped on the crowd. "What's that?" asked Crescendo.

"That's Magneto's work," the fire-wielder said with a grin. "Let's go."

Suddenly, the clinic was shaken by the explosion of a bomb. Not a Molotov cocktail but an actual bomb. "We're almost out," said the fire-wielder. "Hurry!"

They climbed out onto the fire escape. Crescendo could hear the sound of an incoming helicopter as it hovered over the roof. They reached the roof and scrambled into the helicopter, which was piloted by a blue-skinned woman. "Pyro," she said, "Where's Magneto?"

"I don't know. I got out everyone I could."

The helicopter rose, giving Crescendo a better view of the mob. He watched as Marlow and several of the clinic's doctors were dragged out of the clinic by men in fireproof suits. They were beaten, stabbed, and shot. But what struck Crescendo the most was how small they looked. Marlow and the others looked so small. That was when Crescendo realized that there were so few humans who were willing to accept mutants. They were small and futile, helpless against this giant legion of hatred. It was at that moment Crescendo lost hope in humanity. Maybe there were some good humans out there, but there were too few to matter. As far as he was concerned, the only good humans had died at the clinic.

"Raptor, look!" Crescendo grabbed Raptor's arm and pointed out the helicopter window.

"What is it?"

"At the front of the mob!" Crescendo said frantically. "Look!"

Raptor saw a familiar face at the head of the mob. "Anne," he murmured in disbelief.

Pyro reached over and opened the helicopter door. They saw Magneto floating up towards them, Lady Deathstrike floating beside him. In his arms was Swarm, a volunteer Crescendo had never gotten to know.

Magneto set Swarm down in a seat before settling in himself. He nodded to the blue-skinned woman, who flew the helicopter away.

"What the hell was that?" Swarm shouted, still frightened.

"They're called Purifiers," said Magneto. "A very violent, very extreme anti-mutant militia run by the Reverend Mathias Bell. They aim not only to exterminate mutants but to exterminate their families and anyone who might carry the mutant gene. What you saw back there was their mob tactic. Not everyone in that mob was a Purifier. Their assassins were dispersed within the mob so that they don't leave any evidence about their identities. Not that the police would care to investigate." He turned to Raptor. "You say you recognized someone in that mob."

"Yeah," said Raptor. "Her name is Anne. She was a nurse at the clinic."

"She was?" Swarm asked, surprised. "Why would that bitch help those people?"

"It happened before you joined us," said Raptor. "She was tormented by one of the patients here. Don't blame her, Swarm. Blame Nightmare. He's a psycho who played games with her mind."

"Well, Nightmare didn't expose the clinic," Magneto cut in. "Nightmare didn't lead the Purifiers there. It doesn't matter why she hates mutants. When a Klansmen ties a rope around a black man's neck, does the black man wonder why the Klansman hates him? When the Nazis were throwing my people into the gas chambers, did we wonder why the Nazis hated us? No. All that mattered was escape and survival. The justifications of our enemies do not matter."

"Enemies?" asked Swarm. "Is this supposed to be some kind of war?"

"Fire, bombs, guns, and fanatics thirsting for our blood," said Crescendo. "It looks a lot like war to me."

"But if we know what they're thinking," said Raptor, "then we can find some way to reconcile with them." Magneto chuckled at this.

"My apologies, my boy," Magneto said when Raptor glared at him, "but when you said that, you reminded me of an old friend."

"You mean there's other mutants who think like me?"

"Yes. His name is Charles Xavier. But don't get your hopes up, Raptor. There's a good chance he's dead."

"You killed him?"

"No!" said Magneto. "But being caught in a bursting dam tends to be quite deadly. But, anyway, I would like to make you all an offer to join my Brotherhood."

"What's this Brotherhood all about?" asked Crescendo.

"We fight to prevent incidents like the one you just witnessed. If we do not fight back against the humans, then you will experience things far worse. If we do not conquer them, then they will conquer us."

"Sounds like more terrorism," said Raptor. "For a Jew, you're a lot like a Nazi."

"Say what you will, but it does not change facts. The humans are not willing to share the world with us." He turned to the other mutants. "Well?"

"I'll do it," Lady Deathstrike spoke up.

"You're pretty impulsive," said Crescendo.

"No," said Deathstrike. Her long silver claws slid out from her fingertips. "Humans gave me these claws, trying to turn me into a weapon. I think it's appropriate that I use them to get my revenge."

"I'm not as certain as Yuriko is," said Crescendo. He looked at the others. Raptor seemed set against it while Midas and Swarm had looks of uncertainty. "Give us some time to think about it." In truth, Crescendo had already made his decision. He would join the Brotherhood and fight for mutants all over the world. What he wanted was some time to convince Raptor to do the same.

**XXXXX**

Whew! That chapter was longer than usual.

Oh, and the Purifiers aren't my original creation. They're taken from the comic books. The only difference is that in the comics, their leader is Rev. William Stryker.

Thanks to all my readers. Don't forget to leave a review.


	3. Choosing Sides

**God's Trumpet**

**Chapter 3: Choosing Sides**

Crescendo slept late into the day, worn out from yesterday's meeting with Magneto. He slunk out of bed, noticing that the others were still sleeping. Crescendo shrugged indifferently. It wasn't as if they had any reason to get up.

"Hello?" a voice called up from the lowest floor. The voice had a British accent, like Magneto. Before he had mutated, Crescendo could not distinguish two British voices to save his life. Now he could detect differences in the vibrations of the sound waves.

"So you're awake," the man called up. Crescendo was surprised. How did the man know that someone two stories above him was awake?

"I can sense you," the man answered. "You think quite loudly. Please, wake your friends and bring them down. I have something to discuss with you."

Crescendo stirred up sound waves in his friends' rooms, telling them to wake up. Raptor and Midas emerged from their rooms, Swarm staggering out shortly afterwards. The four mutants came down to the first floor to be met by a bald man in a wheelchair and a young dark-skinned woman with white hair.

"Hello," said the bald man with a friendly smile.

"Who the hell are you and what the hell do you want?" asked Crescendo.

"Forgive me. My name is Charles Xavier. I am here because of the destruction of the clinic. You see, I was the clinic's chief financial benefactor. When I learned that the Purifiers attacked it, I came searching for any survivors. You're Crescendo, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Dr. Marlow told me about you. Very brave, tailing those mobs like you did. I was looking forward to the day you would join us at my school."

"Thanks for the offer," Crescendo said, "but I've made other plans."

"He's joining Magneto's Brotherhood," Raptor blurted. "They all are."

"The Brotherhood?" said Xavier. "You're joining Erik's terrorists?"

"And what do you intend to do about it, Charles?" Striding through the door was Magneto, in his trademark cape and helmet. "These young people have made their decision. Or will you use your talents to 'convince' them?"

The white-haired woman glared at Magneto. Though it was a sunny day, Crescendo felt the air getting colder and heard the distinctive rumble of thunder. Charles put a hand on her arm and whispered something calming in her ear. The temperature returned to normal and the thunder disappeared.

"You know that I won't, Erik," Charles said wearily. "Abusing power is your province, not mine." He turned back to Crescendo and the others. "Do you realize what it means to join the Brotherhood? Are you prepared to kill humans?"

"Why not?" Swarm shot back. "They seem prepared to kill us."

"Not all of them," said Charles. "There are humans who are willing to accept us and help us."

"And they died at the clinic," said Crescendo as he walked out the door to the car Magneto had waiting for them.

"Well," said Magneto, "I don't see this conversation going anywhere." He motioned to the door. "Swarm, Midas, shall we?"

As the two mutants followed Crescendo out the door, Midas stopped by Xavier's wheelchair. "Professor?"

"Yes, Midas?"

"Were there…" Midas paused. "Are there any other survivors?"

"No," Xavier answered somberly. "I'm sorry."

"I see." Midas followed Swarm out to the car.

"You're still welcome to join us, Raptor," said Magneto.

Raptor shook his head. "I'm no killer."

"Not even after that scene at the clinic?"

"Nope."

A column of sound was directed past Xavier and Magneto and straight to Raptor, so that only he could hear. "Your pride will get you killed someday."

**XXXXX**

On the outside, Rev. Mathias Bell was one of those televangelists, sincere in his faith but not above making a few million bucks from it. He roused his flock with fire and brimstone, preaching violence but appearing to never follow through with it.

On the inside, Bell was even more unstable than he appeared to be on stage. Once, he had been one of those modern, liberal reverends, teaching their bland, watered-down Christianity and somehow managing to worship God and put up with Satan at the same time. Things had changed when that creature was born.

The girl had been meant to be his child, his beloved daughter, his pride and joy. He had thought all children to be innocent, untouched, pure. But on that day, Bell learned that Satan's corruption could reach someone even in the womb. The creature that had emerged from his wife's womb was so deformed, so vile that it could only be one of Satan's spawn. Bright yellow eyes that shone like heated coals and skin the color of raw meat. It was truly the Devil's child.

When he first saw that squirming, wailing monster in his wife's arms, God's fury and revulsion poured into him. But he had resisted it, waving his tolerance around like a little talisman, warding it off. Stacey, his wife, hadn't cared that their child was a mutant and for a while, Bell convinced himself that he didn't care either.

Then, one day, he held the creature while his wife had left to shop for groceries. He gently rocked it, trying to get it to stop crying. Its wail was starting to makes his ears hurt.

Then, suddenly, the baby was silent.

Bell looked down at it, thinking it had finally gone to sleep. But its eyes were open, wide and unblinking, staring straight into his own. Bell gazed into its golden eyes, mesmerized.

Then, he felt an unknown intrusion probing into his mind. The baby. It was as if the baby was peering through his mind, exploring it. The baby's mental probe shot deeper into his mind.

Then, pain.

Bell felt as if his head exploded. White hot pain filled his skull, blinding him. He screamed, trying vainly to force the creature's probe out. Finally, he flung the creature hard against the wall, hearing a dull thump.

The pain stopped.

Bell slumped down in the sofa, trying to catch his breath. He turned to look at the body of the creature he had thrown at the wall. The baby's soft skull had burst open against the wall, leaving a large red stain. Its limp and broken body lay beneath it.

As he looked at the murdered child, he did not feel the regret or fear he expected. He felt elation, ecstasy. Bell knew that he had finally done what God wanted from him. To do God's work was a wonderful feeling, no matter how unpleasant that work was.

The Lord had been pleased. He sent Bell allies, men of great wealth and power, to protect him. They silenced his traitorous wife and helped him gain a televised pulpit with which he could continue his mission, purging mutants from the world.

Now he sat in his study in the mansion that his works had earned him, preparing his latest sermon. He heard a knock at his door. "Come in."

"Rev. Bell?"

"Hello, Anne," Bell said warmly. "What can I do for you?"

Anne stepped forward shyly, a piece of yellow paper in her hands. "I found this in town today." Bell accepted the paper and unfolded it. It spoke of a mutant community meeting with the words **NO HUMANS **featured prominently.

"Thank you for bringing this to me," Bell said solemnly. The mutants were organizing, no doubt for another terrorist act. And they were holding their meeting in a church, no less! Turning a house of God into the headquarters for Satan's army. Was there no end to their depravity?

"What are you going to do about it?"

"We could sneak someone in to take care of their leadership," said Bell.

"I volunteer!" Anne blurted. She seemed desperate for this mission.

"I appreciate your eagerness…" Bell began.

"Reverend Bell, I spent my life trying to help those monsters and I led that disastrous raid on the clinic. Give me a chance to redeem myself!" Her zeal was inspiring.

"You shouldn't feel bad about the raid. We destroyed the place. It was a success."

"But so many of our people were killed. I need this."

"There's a very good chance you'll be killed," said Bell.

"Then we'll meet in Heaven."

Bell fell silent as he got up from his desk and embraced the young woman. Anne was surprised for a moment, but as she grew more comfortable in his arms, she embraced him back.

In the short time he'd known her, Bell had grown fond of the repentant young woman and he knew why. Anne was the same age as his daughter would have been and even had a slight resemblance to his wife. It was the ultimate sign of God's pleasure. He had seen fit to return Bell's daughter to him.

**XXXXX**

The skinny man stood on the stage of the church, making a feeble speech of "education," trying to reassure the mutants in the audience that the new anti-mutant "cure" was voluntary. Crescendo shook his head at the man's naïveté.

"They're trying to exterminate us!" shouted a man in the audience.

"No one's talking about extermination," the man on stage replied.

"No one ever talks about extermination," came a strong, clear voice from the audience. The crowd fell silent. "They just do it."

Magneto stepped out of the crowd, making his way to the stage. All eyes were on him. He was flanked by Pyro and Deathstrike. Swarm, Midas, and Crescendo followed, forming a small parade. They were there for two reasons, to protect Magneto and to make a display of power.

As they made their way to the stage, Crescendo looked out of the corner of his eye and saw a familiar blonde head. _Anne! What's she doing here? _Had she become a mutant or was she simply a spy for the Purifiers? Crescendo knew he had to stop her but to attack her now, without any clear provocation, would throw the meeting into panic and hurt the Brotherhood's cause. Meanwhile, Magneto continued his speech.

"And you go on with your lives, ignoring the signs around you. And then one day, when the air is still and the night is fallen, they come for you. Only then do you realize that while you're talking about organizing and committees, the extermination has already begun. Make no mistake, my brothers, they will draw first blood. They will force their cure upon us. There is only one question you must answer: Who will you stand with?"

As they walked down from the stage, Crescendo sent a private message to Magneto. "The Purifier woman from the clinic is here." Without looking back, Magneto nodded.

"You talk pretty tough for a guy in a cape." Crescendo, being at the back, turned and found himself face to face with an Asian man. The young man was flanked by three women, all in black.

"Back off," said Pyro. Crescendo said nothing, preparing to blast this newcomer apart.

"Hey!" a woman covered in tattoos shouted to Magneto. "If you're so proud of being a mutant, then where's your mark?"

Magneto smiled sardonically. "I've already been marked once, my dear," he said as he pulled up his sleeve, revealing a set of numbers tattooed into his skin. "And let me assure you, no needle will touch my skin again."

Midas and Crescendo looked at the numbers, not understanding their meaning. "He's a Holocaust survivor," Swarm whispered to them. With that bit of knowledge, Crescendo felt he understood Magneto much better.

Pyro swaggered forward, looking the man in the face. "Do you realize who you're talking to?" A wisp of flame appeared in the palm of his hand.

"Do you?" With the sound of a switchblade, needles appeared all over the man's head.

"Watcha gonna do?" asked Swarm. "Rub your face on us?"

"Don't worry about 'em, Quill," said the tattooed woman. "She's a beekeeper and her boyfriend's just a walking music box."

"What use'll you be?" asked a large, manly woman with heavily gelled hair. "Unless we wanna fight to a soundtrack."

Crescendo looked straight into her eyes. "Maybe you should see how this music box can split your skull."

Swarm said nothing. Instead, a loud buzzing noise came from the high, shadowy church ceiling. Deathstrike extended her claws while Midas reached for his adamantium switchblade. The last member of their group, an Asian woman with pink highlighted hair hanging down into her face, created a glowing energy blade, like a rod of light. The other mutants around them stared intently, expecting a fight to break out. They backed away, giving them a wide berth.

"Please, please," said Magneto, stepping between them. "In dark times like these, mutants cannot afford to fight other mutants. Our enemies are the humans." With a courteous smile, he extended his hand to the tattooed woman. "I am Magneto."

Warily, the woman took his hand. "Callisto," she introduced herself. "This is Arclight," she motioned to the woman with the gelled hair, "Psylocke," she pointed to the girl with pink highlights, "and Quill," she pointed to the spiky-faced boy.

In the same gentlemanly tone, Magneto asked, "and what is your gift, Callisto?" Callisto ran around the room, becoming a blur, and returned within a second. "That and more. I know that you can control metal and that there's no mutants in here above a class three, except for you and the pyromaniac." Pyro smiled at what he took as a compliment.

"You can sense other mutants," said Magneto, his smile becoming a grin. Callisto nodded.

"Maybe she can sense if her friend is male or female," Crescendo muttered. Arclight raised her arms, preparing to clap her hands together. Deathstrike shot forward like a snake, pressing her claws against Arclight's throat.

"Crescendo!" Magneto scolded him. Slowly, Magneto pushed Deathstrike's claws back into her arms. "My apologies, Arclight. Callisto, I need you to help me find a certain mutant."

As Magneto briefed Callisto on the details of Mystique's rescue, Crescendo saw Anne wading through the crowd, one hand reaching into her pocket. "Magneto…" he said softly.

"I know, Crescendo," said Magneto.

When Callisto saw them looking past her, she turned around and saw Anne. "That woman isn't a mutant!" she shouted. The result was chaos.

Mutants prepared their natural weapons, aiming them for the poor woman. The man who had made the speech about education stood between them and Anne, trying to calm them. "Please, this woman is not here to harm us. Just let her go."

"She'll reveal us to the humans! Kill her!" shouted one mutant. There were shouts of agreement from all around.

"Take it easy!" the first man shouted.

_BANG!_

Everyone was silent. A wisp of smoke rose from behind him. The man collapsed, a bullet wound in his back, revealing the pistol Anne was carrying. Anne quickly emptied her clip at Magneto, who easily stopped the bullets. Anne dropped the gun and drew a broad Bowie knife from under her coat. Magneto prepared to pull it out of her hand when, inexplicably, she dropped it on the floor. Her back went rigid and her eyes were wide, as if someone had a gun to her head.

"I know that look," Crescendo muttered.

In the silent church, a single man's footsteps echoed loudly. A man in a long black trench coat, looking like the Grim Reaper, stepped out of the crowd and picked up the knife.

Nightmare.

**XXXXX**

Well, I hope you've enjoyed the latest installment of God's Trumpet. Don't forget to leave a review.


	4. Vengeance

**God's Trumpet**

**Chapter 4: Vengeance **

The woman called Storm drove the van out of New York City and towards Westchester. Throughout the trip, Raptor saw fewer and fewer people, but he was thankful for the tinted glass. The fewer people who saw him, the better.

Storm tried to make conversation. "So, Raptor. Tell us more about yourself."

"Like what?"

"Well…" Storm paused. Raptor was certainly shy. "What's your real name?"

"Max Elliot. What's yours?"

"Ororo Munroe. I teach history." More awkward silence.

"Professor," said Raptor, "why did you decide to make an all-mutant school?"

"I thought that would be obvious," Storm spoke up.

"In current society, there are those who fear mutants and some who try to attack them," said Xavier. "I'm sure you know that. This school gives young mutants a place where they can be with people like themselves. We also teach youngsters how to control their powers and to use them responsibly."

"What do you mean by responsibly?"

"Mutants have power beyond what normal people are capable of," said Xavier. "And as the old adage goes, power corrupts. My abilities include mind reading and mind control and I'll admit, I've been tempted to use them unscrupulously. Think of all the things I could get by taking another person's free will! I learned to resist that kind of temptation and I teach my students the same."

"We're here," Storm announced, driving through the front gate of the huge mansion and into the garage. She put the van into park and opened the sliding door, helping Xavier down the wheelchair ramp.

Out of habit, Raptor checked to make sure that the garage was deserted before exiting the car. "Are you sure I'll be okay here?"

"Yes," said Storm. "Everyone here's a mutant, just like you."

"Are any of them lizards?" Raptor asked sarcastically. He was startled by a loud "BAMF!" directly behind him. He immediately covered his nose from the acrid smell of sulfur.

"No," said an accented voice from behind him. A strong hand grabbed his shoulder and wheeled him around. Raptor was face-to-face with a blue-skinned mutant. "But some of us are demons!" The demonic mutant let out a loud hiss which ended in a playful laugh.

Raptor couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face. He bared his own fangs, held out his claws, and gave his own reptilian shriek, which he had often used to frighten enemies away. Somewhat more at ease, Raptor held out his hand. "I'm Max Elliot, but you can call me Raptor."

The blue-skinned mutant grasped Raptor's hand with three thick fingers. "My name is Kurt Wagner," he said, "but…" Storm clapped a hand over his mouth.

Storm sighed in playful exasperation. "But in the Munich Circus, he was known as the Incredible Nightcrawler," she announced halfheartedly. Nightcrawler swatted her hand away.

"You don't say it right," Nightcrawler said. "The Incredible _Nightcrawler!_" he said grandly, demonstrating how he was supposed to be announced.

With an amused smile, Xavier turned his wheelchair around. "Come along, Max," he said, leaving Nightcrawler and Storm to their playful bickering. "We'll get you a room. After that, you're free to settle in, explore the mansion, and maybe meet some of the other students. Oh, and I should warn you about a little tradition the students have."

Raptor's mind was suddenly filled with images of the dangerous hazing rituals that college fraternities had. "Will I have to hold a cherry in my butt cheeks or something?"

Xavier laughed heartily before answering. "No, nothing like that. It's called the Book of Names. The pages are divided into two columns. On one side goes your first name and on the second goes a nickname you gave yourself based on your gifts. I mostly pretend to ignore it because I know how you young people hate us old farts interfering with your fun, but it has some very beneficial psychological effects."

"How so?"

"Well, when you took the name Raptor," said Xavier, "you weren't just thinking of a fun nickname. You were integrating your mutation into your identity, accepting it as a part of yourself."

Raptor had never thought of it that way, but he realized that it was true. Naming himself Raptor had helped him accept his mutation. It was a sign of acceptance. "Do you have a mutant name?"

"No," said Xavier. "I could never think of a good one."

As they continued to Raptor's new room, Raptor thought he heard Xavier mutter something. It sounded like "wheels."

**XXXXX**

"Who are you?" Magneto asked the newcomer in the dark coat. "What did you do?" When he received no answer, he pulled the large knife out of Nightmare's hand.

"Don't bother," said Callisto. "This crazy bastard's…augh!" She never got to finish as Nightmare struck her in the stomach and pushed past her. With a wordless snarl, Nightmare tackled Crescendo, wrapping his hands around his throat. Crescendo made a futile effort to fight back. Deathstrike's hands with adamantium bones grabbed Nightmare's shoulders and tried to tear him off.

Then, Crescendo went limp. His blood ran cold as he was gripped by a sudden terror. He could still feel Nightmare's fingers tightening over his throat and his lungs burning for air. He felt the life draining out of him. He was dying. But all he knew was that if he fought back, something much worse would happen. Nightmare was holding him over the pits of Hell.

Then, it was as if an angel had come and burned the fear away. Crescendo saw as a blue shockwave blasted Nightmare right off his body. Deathstrike was shot into the air, did a graceful flip, and landed gently on the floor. Nightmare, however, was tossed high into the air and hit the floor with a loud thump. As he struggled the stand, Magneto levitated the Bowie knife towards him, pressing it against his throat. As Crescendo came to his senses, he could see the rage on Nightmare's face.

Callisto looked from Nightmare to Crescendo before realization dawned on her. Pointing at Crescendo, she exclaimed, "You're the one who blew out Nightmare's hearing!"

Crescendo looked at Nightmare, who didn't react to what Callisto said. He realized that the sound attack he had used on Nightmare had destroyed his hearing. "Yeah, I suppose so." He looked Nightmare over, thinking. "Does he know sign language?"

"No," said Psylocke.

"Then how does he communicate?"

"I can speak to him telepathically," said Psylocke.

"Then tell him," Crescendo said, his voice becoming steely, "that if the clinic still existed, they could have gotten him a hearing aid." A moment of silence passed while Psylocke transmitted the message. With another snarl, Nightmare dodged the knife and charged at Crescendo, only to be grabbed from behind by Deathstrike.

"Stop!" Magneto commanded. "No more fighting and no more taunts! Psylocke, stop him!" Lowering his voice, he whispered to Crescendo, "Do not be so belligerent in the future. Now, this mutant can manipulate fear?" Crescendo nodded. Magneto turned to Psylocke. "Stop him. Calm him down." Psylocke stared at Nightmare, ordering him to be still. Like a trained dog, Nightmare obeyed. His glare never left Crescendo.

Magneto whispered to Psylocke, "Tell Nightmare to use his powers on them." He motioned to the congregation of mutants surrounding them. "Make them fear the humans."

Nightmare did as he was told. But as he lost his concentration, Anne regained control of herself, not knowing why she had been so frightened. After a moment's hesitation she snatched up her fallen pistol, jammed in a fresh magazine and immediately started firing towards Nightmare. She had a quick trigger finger, managing to get two shots out before Magneto snatched away her pistol. Magneto stopped the second bullet, but the first struck Swarm in the arm. She collapsed from the pain, screaming as the bullet snapped her bone. The sobbing girl lay on the ground, curled in a pathetic fetal position. With a rage fueled by humiliation, Swarm lifted her face to the ceiling of the church, as if addressing God Himself. _"Kill her!"_

A huge swarm of little black hornets separated from the shadows of the ceiling and descended upon the Purifier woman. Anne stared in fearful fascination at the swarm as the Plagues of Egypt came to mind. The hornets sunk their stingers into her flesh. She felt each one tearing away at her skin. She rolled on the floor swinging her arms wildly, trying in swat them away.

Crescendo listened with a smile. He knew that when Swarm returned to her senses, she'd be glad to know Anne's screams were louder than hers.

Meanwhile, Magneto had pulled the bullet from Swarm's arm. "Psylocke, can you calm her?" Psylocke placed her hands on the sides of Swarm's head. Her shrieks and sobs faded. "Swarm?" Magneto asked gently, "I need you to call off your hornets." The bugs were lifted from Anne and returned to the rafters on the ceiling. Anne lie on the ground shuddering. The pain was terrible.

"Get a first aid kit!" Magneto commanded the mutant congregation. One mutant quickly hurried forward, holding out a large plastic box. Pyro took it and set it down by Swarm. Magneto lifted the pistol up to Anne's welt-covered face. "You're a nurse. Fix her arm." He pulled back the hammer.

Anne opened the first aid kit. "I-I can't fix a broken arm with this!" she said, still on the verge of tears.

"Bullshit," Midas spat, pulling out his switchblade.

"I can make a splint for her," Anne said fearfully. "It'll be good enough until she can get medical attention."

"And where would a mutant find that?" asked Crescendo. "I'm pretty sure you've heard that the clinic is gone."

"I don't know!" she cried.

"Crescendo, let her do her work," said Magneto. Anne continued making a splint for Swarm.

"There!" she said. "That's the best I can do. Keep it immobilized."

"Thank you, nurse," said Magneto. He looked towards the front of the church, with a metal image of Jesus nailed to the wooden cross. He pulled the image off the cross, eliciting gasps from the other mutants. He crafted the savior's arms into chains and bound Anne with them. "Crescendo, take your vengeance."

Crescendo emitted a simple sound, which echoed in the church. Anne began to shiver has her bones vibrated in resonance with the sound waves. She gasped as a bone snapped, then another, and another. Her screams grew louder as the deadly sound tore away at her skeleton. Her bones could no longer support her and she was reduced to a bleeding lump of flesh, limp and helpless. "God help me!" she cried.

"Midas," said Magneto, "finish her off."

With uncharacteristic bloodlust, Midas plunged his switchblade through Anne's ruined skull.

**XXXXX**

There's the latest installment of God's Trumpet. Don't forget to leave a review. Reviews are good m'kay?


	5. The Danger Room

**God's Trumpet**

**Chapter 5: The Danger Room**

For obvious reasons, Raptor had never been a very social person and rarely ever approached new people, preferring to let them come to him. So when he went into the kitchen of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters that evening, he bypassed the group of students sitting at the counter, heading straight for the refrigerator.

As Raptor pulled the fridge open and grabbed a soda, he felt their gazes on his back, a feeling he had always hated. Before, nearly all the attention he'd gotten was negative. Even some of the workers at the clinic had eyed his reptilian form with slight disgust. But he was more hopeful here. The demonic-looking Nightcrawler seemed happy here. Perhaps…

"Hey," one of the boys at the table said in greeting. Raptor turned to see the blond boy at the counter smiling at him. "I haven't seen you before. You new here?"

"I am," Raptor said warily.

The boy held out his hand, seemingly unafraid of touching Raptor's claws or scaly skin. "Bobby Drake."

Raptor accepted it. "Max Elliot."

"This is Marie D'Ancanto, Theresa Rourke, Piotr Rasputin, Jubilation Lee…"

"Jubilee," the Asian girl cut in.

"Jubilee," Bobby continued, "and Kitty Pryde." He pointed at each one in turn. "Or, if you'd like to be more informal, Rogue, Siryn, Colossus, Jubilee, Shadowcat, and I'm Iceman."

"Call me Raptor."

Jubilee glanced at her watch. "Almost time for Family Guy! Let's go. You like Family Guy, Raptor?" He nodded eagerly.

As the students filed out into the hall, they heard an angry voice say, "Not everyone heals as fast as you, Logan." The students' cheerful chattering faded as a man in red sunglasses walked by with a bag slung over his shoulder. Piotr put a muscular arm in front of Raptor, telling him to stay out of the man's way. "That's Cyclops," he whispered. "He's been like that ever since his girlfriend Jean died."

Raptor looked at Cyclops as he walked out the door and felt a pang of pity for the broken man. Trying to brighten the mood, Bobby said, "C'mon. Family Guy."

After a half hour of watching Peter Griffin make an idiot of himself, the students made their way to their rooms, ready for bed. They shuffled through the hall, rubbing their eyes and yawning.

"Just where do you think you're going?" Raptor and the other students looked up to see the man Logan standing with his arms folded in the middle of the hall, blocking their path.

"Bed," Bobby said in a tone that seemed to add "obviously." But no one spoke to Logan like that.

"No you're not," Logan said. "You're going to the Danger Room." He looked at Raptor. "You too, new guy."

_"What?"_ the students groaned.

"But Wolverine, we're _tired!" _whined Jubilee. "We wanna _sleep. _Can't it wait till morning?"

"Did Stryker wait until morning?" asked Wolverine. "Do you think someone like him would wait for you to wake up and grab some coffee?" The answer was a sullen "no."

As the students trooped reluctantly behind Logan, Raptor whispered, "Who's Stryker? And what's the Danger Room?"

"The Danger Room's a training simulation," said Logan, who had apparently heard. "And Stryker's…"

"A fuckin' psycho!" spat Jubilee.

"…a military scientist," Logan continued, ignoring Jubilee's outburst. "His job was to deal with the mutant 'problem.' But he's dead now."

"Training for what?" asked Raptor.

"Defense," said Logan, stopping by an unremarkable blank space on the wall. Hitting a hidden switch, the wall slid open, revealing an elevator with immaculate silver walls. As Logan and the other students piled in without a thought, Raptor peered inside cautiously. What kind of school was this?

The elevator took them into the lower levels of the school. The walls were the same spotless silver, with curious round doors. Logan led them to one marked Danger Room.

"Hold on," said Rogue. "Aren't we gonna suit up?"

"Nope," said Logan. "You'll fight in what you're wearing. That's the point of this exercise. It's a surprise attack."

The door opened to reveal a wide, round room walled with silvery panels. Storm and Nightcrawler were waiting in the middle of the room. Storm was clad only in a flimsy white nightdress while Nightcrawler was shirtless, revealing several strange markings on his blue skin.

"Okay," said Storm. "Tonight we're…"

Before Storm could say any more, Logan hit a switch by the door. Apparently, he'd wanted to start the simulation before Storm could give away anything more about the "surprise attack."

Raptor was instantly whisked away from the others. The Danger Room became a blur of light rushing past him. _You're standing still, _he reminded himself to keep from falling over.

Eventually, the rushing light faded, forming a coherent image. Raptor found himself alone in a small, sparsely furnished bedroom with a bed and desk. Looking out the window, he could see the road Storm had driven on when she'd first brought him to the school. Apparently, this hologram was meant to mimic the school.

Raptor pressed his hand against the mattress. He could feel it. "One hell of a hologram," he muttered. He grasped the doorknob. It was the perfect duplicate of metallic texture. Cold, smooth, and hard. Raptor pulled open the door and stepped out into the hallway.

The mansion was dark and quiet. Raptor thought of those horror movies when everything was silent and tense right before the villain jumped out at you. In a situation like this, Raptor wondered, would he be able to keep that vow he'd made on the day he'd met Crescendo? It had been easy to swear off killing when he was alone and weak in the alleyway. But what about now, when a man with a gun might be rushing at him at any minute?

A blinding light shone through a window at the end of the hall. Raptor barely had time to notice it before the window exploded into hundreds of little glass shards. Men dressed in black Kevlar and masks began climbing into the hallway, brandishing submachine guns with flashlights attached. "There's one!" the leader shouted. Raptor disappeared down the hall and around a corner before the gunman could get a shot off. The bullets barely missed Raptor's tail.

Raptor ran blindly through the unfamiliar mansion, picking his paths at random. Looking out a window, he saw helicopters landing in the front lawn. Lines of gunmen scurried across the yard like ants.

Raptor saw the glow of a flashlight shining from around the corner and heard the sound of stomping boots getting closer and closer. The moment he saw the first black-clad gunman, Raptor unleashed his deadly acid. The spray of clear droplets arched gracefully through the air, landing squarely on the gun and melting it away. The lead gunman reached for a pistol while the two men behind him brought their weapons to bear.

Suddenly, a pair of hands shot through the men's chests as if they were made of smoke. The hands grasped the submachine guns and pulled them back through their bodies. Then Raptor heard a terrible staccato roar as the gunmen were filled with what were, unfortunately for them, armor piercing bullets. As the bodies dropped, Raptor saw the girl Shadowcat, clutching one of the submachine guns.

"Come on," she said, perfectly calm. "We have to regroup with the others."

Raptor stared at the "dead" bodies in shock, trying to remind himself it was just a hologram. He nodded numbly. Shadowcat held out her hand, helping him to his feet.

Shadowcat led Raptor through the halls. As she rounded a corner, she shouted, "Get back!" and kicked Raptor out of the way. Another group of gunmen were stalking down the hallway. They opened fire the moment they saw her. Seeing that Raptor was safely out of their line of fire, Shadowcat phased, letting the bullets fly through her. Raptor shut his eyes and hid his head under his arms as he heard Shadowcat mow her enemies down mercilessly. The girl tossed her empty weapon onto the ground, picking up a new one.

"It's just a hologram, Raptor!" Shadowcat said. "Let's go!" Slightly embarrassed, Raptor stood and followed her.

"Do you know where the others are?" asked Raptor. As if in answer, lightning flashed through the window. The gunmen outside cried out as roaring winds blew them over. Hailstones the size of musket balls rained down on them with unnatural force. The men, abandoning their weapons, scrambled aboard their helicopters. The helicopters began to lift off, abandoning several of their comrades. As the helicopters made their desperate escape, bright bolts of lightning shot down at them, lighting them and their passengers ablaze. The flaming wrecks crashed onto the ground. Raptor watched the scene without comprehending what he saw. He simply watched the fires spread and the gunmen fall without any thought or feeling. He was numb.

"Raptor!" Shadowcat's voice shook Raptor from his stupor. He looked around, just in time to stare down the barrel of an assault rifle.

"End simulation."

The simulated gun barrel and simulated mansion began to dissolve and once again, Raptor found himself in the circular, silver-walled Danger Room. Charles Xavier entered the room, a neutral expression on his face. "That is all for tonight," he said. "Good night." As Raptor left the Danger Room, he overheard Xavier rebuke Storm for attacking retreating helicopters.

As Raptor walked down the chrome halls, heading for the elevator, he heard Logan say, "Congratulations, Raptor. You were killed." When Raptor did not answer, Logan continued. "You can't just run away, Raptor. You have to fight back."

"I did what I would have done in real life," Raptor said with an edge in his voice. "Isn't that the point of the Danger Room?"

"In real life, would you curl up in a corner and let Kitty fight for you?" asked Logan.

Raptor made a derisive sound. "Were you impressed by Kitty's Rambo act back there? Let me ask you something. Do you honestly think she'd be able to do that in real life? Do you think any of us could actually do the things we do in that fancy video game?"

Logan fell silent, locking his human eyes on Raptor's amber ones. His voice low, he answered, "I sure as hell hope so."


End file.
